Meter-box cover



L SCHLEY.

METER BOX COVERI M'PLICAHDN- man FE.s,1922.

atmed @et 3, 32922.,

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Patented @et JACK A. SCHLEY, GF DALLAS, TEIALS.

llETERi-BOX CVER.

Application filed February 3, i922. Serial No. 534,000.

To al] wim-m 'it muy fr0/neem Be it known that l. Jaen Somali', a citizen oi' the United States, residingat Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented certain new and use` l'ul Improvements in 'llfleter-Box Covers, ot which the folio is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in meter box covers.

rl`he object of the invention is to provide an improved forni otl cover and lock therefor. An important object of the invention is to provide a looking' device of such a nature as to be readily and easily assembled on the cover. A further object is to provide locking' means which may be cheaply constructed and which will-he oi a substair tial nature. Une of the `novel 'features of the invention is to employ7 the spring which aetuates the locking bolt, a retaining' elenient lor holdingr the bolt in place.

constructiondesigned to carry out the invention will he hereinafter described together with otherl features of 'the invention.

The invention will be more readilnxfuir derstood 'from a readingy ol.l the 'following speeilieation and by reference to the -aeeoinpanying drawings. in which an example or" the invention is shown and wherein:

Fig. l is ah underside view ol the lid` Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section. taken on the line 2 Q ot' Fig. l..

Fig. 2% 1s an enlargedl cross seotlonal View on the line 23-3 of Fig. l. and

Figi is an enlarged detail in seetion on the line lf-fl of Figi:- l.

n the drawing the numeral lll designates a cover ring which is preferably annular and may be embedded in the upper end of a plastic box l.l, of suitable construction; however7 it is to be understood that this ring may be a-ttai-,hed to any kind ot a ineter box and is not liniited'to use'in con neetion with a plastic box. lhe ring is provided' with an inclined annular shoulder l2 extending upwardly7 from an iuwardli,7 direeted annular flange 13. havingT the nature ot' a disk provided with a beveled annular edge l adapted to lit the shoulder l2, so that the marginal edge of said lid may rest upon the flange lt will be seen that the top of the lid lies flush with the top of the ring and said lid is adequately supported so that it eannot be easily displaced or Chip oli'. at its edges.

A. 'flat lid lll- On the underside of the lid, l provide near one marginal edge, an integral hook 16, ivhioh is adapted to engage under the iiange lil vwhen the lidr swung down into the ring, and thus hold that portion ot' the lid against upward displacement. 0n each side of the renter otK the underside oi the, lid is east a depending' reinlioreing hlange ll'. 'lhese flanges are tapered oli at their ends and are substantially parallel. lt will be seen that the lid is adeouately reinforced hy the Hanger. boss 21 dependst'rom the Central portion oi' the lid and ears 20 depend from the boss on each side thereot', whereby a recess 'i9 is provided between the ears.

r'ln integral keeper 22 east upon the underside of the lidJ dian'ietrically opposite to the hook 1G. The keeper has au enlarged boss 23 whieh eoaets with the boss 21, in 'forming a bearing surface `tor a sliding locking bolt 224i. The outer. end of this bolt is preferably Cylindrical and passes snugly through the keeper so as to engage under the flange 13 and lock the lid in plat-e. The inner end of the bolt is confined between the ears 2G which torni aguide for the saine. intermediate its ends a bolt is provided with a transverse loop 25 havnigl in plan7 a substantially triangular shape and adapted to receive a suitable key, which when turned will engage the inner walls ot' the loop and withdraw the bolt from. under the flange r3 whereby the lid is unlocked.

stop lug' 26 is provided on the side ot' the bolt at the intersection oi the loop there with so as to engage the inner side of the keeper 2Q and limit the outward movement o said bolt. ln eye 2'? is provided at the intersection oic the inner side of 'the loop and the holt, and is for the pnrpose of reeeiving one oit the legs 28 ot an expansion spring 29. The other leg; 30 of said springis passet through apertures in the ears 20 under the bolt and has its end upset is shown in Fig. l. will be seen that the spring legi 30 supports the bolt between the ears @Gand the leg Q8 also iin-- der the bolt to the 2'? whieh. is on ther opposite side.

This eonstruetion is ol particular advantage in assembling the look as it is merely necessary to place the inner end of the bolt between the ears 20, slide the bolt forwardly so that it enters the keeper 22 and them` by placing the spring in position the bolt is `operate. Thebolt being 'cast ofthe aforesaid metal will be comparatively smooth and the method of assembling enables the use of a bolt upon which little or no finish ing is required. In some instances it may be necessary to knock off a little iash witha file, but otherwise the bolt may be assembled just as it comes from the foundry.`

A boss 31 is cast on the underside of the lid between the flanges 17 and conforms to the general shape of the loop'25. When the bolt is extended in 'its locking position, the loop underlies the said boss which forms a bearing for. the same. By observing Fig. 1, it will be seen that the loop extends on both sides on the bolt.` The said loop being either in contact or in close proximity with the boss 31, will prevent rotation of the locking bolt in case the heavier side of the loop has a tendency to swing downwardly. lSuch a rotation is further prevented by the leg 28 of the spring 29. 5

' Within the boss 31 a key hole 32 is formed and extends through the lid. A suitable key (not shown) may be insertedthrough the hole 32, so that the blade of the key stands within the loop 25, and when said key i s rotated, said blade will engage with the inner transverse wall of the loop 25, and slide the bolt 24 inwardly, whereby the leg 28 of the spring is swung inwardly and saidv bolt held under tension. The bolt 24 being' withdrawn, the lid may be swung upwardly, the hook 16 acting as a hinge.' The key thus becomes a handle for lifting the lid and said lid must be returned to the ring and the key turned in the loop before it can be withdrawn. When the key is turned in the loop the leg 28 slides the bolt 24 outwardly so that it engages under the flange 13 and locks the lid in position.

It is pointed out thatvthev-llanges 17 are not weakened and are free from apertures. The spring acting to hold the bolt 24. in place, is very important as it enables the lock to be quickly assembled, i The parallel flanges lying lonQopposite sides of the bolt and spring not 'oiily adequately reinforce the lid, but protect the bolt and spring during transportation of the lids.

What I claim,is: 1

1. In a meter box cover, the combination of a cover'ring having a seat, a lid adapted to engage in said seat, a hook formed on the underside of the lid and adapted to engage under the seat of the ring, a locking bolt dis-v posed diametrically opposite 'from the hook,

a keeper through which the outer end of the bolt is slidable, the outer end of said bolt projecting under the seat of the ring, a key receiving loop carried by the bolt, the lid having. a guide recess receiving the inner end of the bolt, a spring having onel leg fastened transversely of the guide and supporting the inner end of the bolt in ysaid guide and the other end` of the spring engaged with said bolt, and a boss depending from the underside of the lid immediately over the loop and provided with a key hole, the under surface of the boss being in close prximity to the upper surface of the loop.

2. Inv a meter box cover, an annular: shoulder and flange cover ring, a lid 4fitting in theyring on the flanged portieri thereof, flanges depending from the underside of the lid in spaced order, a boss depending from the lid, ears on each side of the boss, a hook relatively between the lianges in position to engage under the flange of the ring, a keeper depending from the lid substantially dial metrically opposite to the hook, a bolt slid ingly engaging in the keeper and between the ears, said bolt being in position 'to engage under the flange of the ring, a key loop carried by the bolt, a boss provided 'with a key and depending from the lid immediately over the loop, and a spring disposed between the flanges vhaving one end engaged with the bolt and the other end passing through the ears and under the bolt for supporting the same in the recess and between said ears.

. In testimony whereof I aix my signature.l

JACK A. sentar.

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